Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Scientists find widely used pesticides in Ontario wild turkeys

By Liam Casey, Global News, June 19, 2018

Widely used pesticides blamed for decimating honeybee and other pollinator populations have found their way into wild turkeys in Ontario, according to a new study from Canadian researchers.

Scientists with the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph and Environment and Climate Change Canada examined the livers of 40 wild turkeys in southern Ontario and found nine had detectable levels of neonicotinoids, a group of insecticides that coat the seeds of cash crops such as corn and soy beans to protect them from pests. The insecticide is taken up by the plant and distributed through its tissue as it grows.

COMMENT: Keep pushing for light rail to Stittsville

By Devyn Barrie, StittsvilleCentral, June 19, 2018

All of a sudden, Mayor Jim Watson doesn’t seem entirely on board with sending the third stage of LRT to Kanata and Stittsville.

Now, it could go to Barrhaven first instead. He says that will be left up to the next city council after this fall’s municipal election. But in the meantime, Watson and Barrhaven Coun. Jan Harder want city council’s approval to spend $600,000 on an environmental assessment to plan out how a potential light rain extension to Barrhaven would work.

Residents in Kanata-Stittsville have been led to believe, for some time now, that after stage two light rail (as far west as Moodie) is completed, the next stop would be Kanata and, now that it’s in the council-approved route, Stittsville.

Province scraps Green Ontario Fund

By CTV News, June 19, 2018

Ontario’s incoming Progressive Conservative government is scrapping a signature green initiative of the previous Liberal regime.

The Green Energy Fund, which offered thousands of dollars in rebates to homeowners and businesses who completed energy-efficient renovations, has been shut down.

The Liberal government launched the program in 2017 with $377 million in revenues from its cap-and-trade program, which premier-designate Doug Ford has vowed to scrap.

The Liberals’ last budget earmarked another $1.7 billion for the program  in the coming years.

City blasted for poor emissions tracking

By Laura Osman, CBC News Ottawa, June 19, 2018

Blasted by critics for doing next to nothing to address climate change during their last term, councillors on Ottawa's environment committee vowed Tuesday to set a more aggressive goal to reduce the city's own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

If council doesn't understand what's happening, it can't take serious action.- Diane Beckett, environmental advocate

The last time Ottawa took inventory of its GHG emissions was 2012, two years before the last municipal election.

"We don't know if Ottawa's emissions have gone up or down under your watch," chided Angela Keller-Herzog of Community Associations for Environmental Sustainability.

Today's letters: Author-outlaw Stephen Reid, playing the anthem, green energy

By George Wright, Ottawa Citizen Letter to the Editor, June 19, 2018

(...)Green Energy Plan must be honoured

I used to sell and install wind and solar equipment for many years. I love renewable energy. Our home and farm has a system installed 30 years ago.

Proudly, I am not part of the Green Energy Plan. When it was in the planning stages, I felt it was a bad deal for the taxpayer and I got out of the business. As a former municipal councillor, I could see that it did not represent value for ratepayers’ money. I wanted no part of it.

However negatively I felt about the program, I feel now it must be honoured. Many farmers trusted the government and invested their money, much of which was probably set aside for retirement, into systems on their farms. They thought their signed contracts were binding, as contracts should be.

Boil-water advisory still in effect in Renfrew north of Bonnechere

By Megan Gillis, Ottawa Citizen, June 19, 2018

The Town of Renfrew has issued a boil-water advisory to residents who live north of the Bonnechere River after the water distribution system lost pressure during a “major” water main break Monday.

Some 450 clients, both residential and businesses, are affected. The city estimates the advisory will extend to Wednesday afternoon.

Untreated tap water should not be used for drinking, making infant formula or juices, making ice, washing fruits, vegetables or brushing teeth. For these purposes, boiled water or commercially bottled water should be used.

Skeptical Ottawa city councillors want bolder target for greenhouse gas reductions

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, June 19, 2018

Councillors on the environment and climate protection committee want to increase the City of Ottawa’s greenhouse gas reduction target, while questioning if the city is even doing enough reduce emissions.

The proposed 20 per cent reduction target would fall in line with a Federation of Canadian Municipalities climate protection program. City staff were planning to bring the 20 per cent proposal to council in 2019 as part of a review of the air quality and climate change management plan.

Coun. Jeff Leiper doesn’t want to wait. He won the committee’s approval Tuesday to recommend setting the new target. Council will vote on June 27.

Trash pickup deficits prompt councillors to question future of sole-source deal with city workers

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, June 19, 2018

Another deficit in city-run garbage pickup has some councillors questioning if the city should stop automatically giving municipal public servants the work without having a contract competition.

“I don’t think the city should automatically do much of anything, especially when the results haven’t achieved what was hoped for, so no, we shouldn’t automatically do that. We should be giving careful scrutiny to it,” Coun. David Chernushenko said Tuesday after an environment committee meeting, where councillors received the latest financial audit of in-house garbage collection.

The audit results for the year ending Oct. 31, 2017 show the downtown collection zone had a $463,869 deficit. The east Ottawa zone had a deficit of $608,022.

Summer schedule changes coming to OC Transpo

By Mike Vlasveld, 1310 News, June 19, 2018

Many of the changes on June 24 are being made to improve connections to future O-Train Line 1 stations.

Several changes are being made to OC Transpo services this summer, to help it get ready for rail and the opening of O-Train Line 1, the Confederation Line, later this year.

Changes will include adjusted schedules and seasonal reductions, which the city said reflects a lower demand for service when the school year ends and customers take summer vacations.

Residents want high-functioning bus service on revitalized Montreal Road

By 1310 News, June 19, 2018

The Vice President of Healthy Transportation Coalition Ottawa says, since the LRT is going to miss Vanier, residents in the neighbourhood need better bus services.

Vanier residents, frustrated with transit service along Montreal Road, are working to get their issues with OC Transpo addressed in the upcoming revitalization of the major east-end corridor.

On 1310 NEWS' The Rick Gibbons Show, Vice President of Healthy Transportation Coalition Ottawa Trevor Haché said about 60 people gathered at their Monday night meeting to talk about the issues affecting Vanier residents.

"Buses that don't show up when they're supposed to, or buses that are showing up right after one another," he explained. "I was there [on Monday] and witnesses two number 12 buses lining up right behind each other, meaning that someone was probably waiting a really long time because one of those buses was either very late or very early."

City prepares to spend hydro dividends on "green" projects

By Jason White, 1310 News, June 19, 2018

The spending comes as the city-owned utility carries about $800 million in debt, and as the newly-elected provincial government pledges to use its dividends from Hydro One to lower the cost of electricity bills.

 

The city's Environment Committee will decide Tuesday whether to approve $633,000 for projects to reduce pollution and energy use, funded by the city's share of the profits from Hydro Ottawa.

The spending comes as the city-owned utility carries about $800 million in debt, and as the newly-elected provincial government pledges to use its dividends from Hydro One to lower the cost of electricity bills.

Hawkesbury high school earns accolade for ecological development

By The Review, June 18, 2018

The École secondaire catholique régionale de Hawkesbury (ESCRH) has announced that it has received a silver ÉcoÉcoles provincial certification for its environmental leadership and engagement.

Ontario’s ÉcoÉcoles is an education program for students of all ages. This program contributes to the development of environmental leaders, as well as reducing the carbon footprint of schools and encouraging “ecoresponsible” communities.

Among the projects that have earned ESCRH this acknowledgement are:

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• Composting project
• School grounds greenery project